Shimon Peres Wishes Iranians ‘Year of Peace’ In Conciliatory New Year Address
Image by Getty Images
Israeli President Shimon Peres wished Jews and Iranians a “year of silence and peace” on the occasion of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year.
Peres in a video message posted by his office on Thursday struck a more conciliatory tone than in past greetings for the ancient holiday, when he would make the case that the burden for peacemaking was on the Iranians.
“As we have had a great history, we can and should have a great future,” he said. “Don’t postpone it. Let’s have a year of silence and peace and forget war and threatening.”
The appeal also was in marked contrast to an escalation in warnings from other Israeli political leaders about a possible confrontation with Iran.
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon suggested this week to a private audience that Israel might consider a unilateral attack to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, having lost confidence in the U.S.-led talks with Iran.
Reports also leaked that Israel has budgeted up to $3 billion for an attack on Iran.
President Obama in his Nowruz message expressed cautious optimism about the talks underway between Iran and major powers.
“For years, the international community has had concerns that Iran’s nuclear program could lead to Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, which would be a threat to the region and to the world,” he said. “Now we’re engaged in intensive negotiations in the hopes of finding a comprehensive solution that resolves the world’s concerns with the Iranian nuclear program.”
Peres said in his 2012 message for Norwuz had said to the Iranians, “If you won’t hate, you won’t be hated, if you won’t threaten, you won’t be threatened, if you’ll show friendship, you’ll get friendship.”
The lighter tone follows a wish by Iran’s new leadership last September for Jews to have a happy Rosh Hashanah.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
